Self-locking tray



Jan. 15, 1963 R. L. GREENE ETAL 3,07

SELF-LOCKING TRAY Filed y a, 1961 INVENTORS RALPH L. aka-M! 4 BYCLAPENCEC. w/u wmm J. E TE/GLAND 4 w. A. SCHA/dH ATTQRNEY:

Patented Jan. 15, 1963 3,073,504 SELF-LOCKING TRAY Ralph L. Greene andClarence C. Willwerth, Jacksonville, Fla., assignors to Owens-IllinoisGlass Company, a corporation of Ohio Filed May 8, 1961, Ser. No. 108,6256 Claims. (Cl. 22934) This invention relates generally to containers andmore particularly to a self-locking tray.

Self-locking trays find utility in many applications, such as in thepackaging of fruit or as tote boxes in retail stores. They areespecially useful where a container must be erected in field or on thejob where no auxiliary fastening means, such as tape or staples, areavailable. It is also desirable that the trays be capable of beingknocked down and reassembled.

Accordingly, it is an object of our invention to provide a sturdy,economical self-locking tray.

Another object of our invention is to provide a selflocking tray whichmay be easily and quickly assembled, knocked down, and reassembled.

The specific nature of this invention, as well as other objects andadvantages thereof, will become apparent to those skilled in the artfrom the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with theannexed sheets of drawings on which, by way of example only, thepreferred embodiment of this invention is illustrated.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the blank used to form the tray of ourinvention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the tray partly assembled; and

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the tray assembled.

Referring to FIG. 1, the blank 10, which is used to form the containerof our invention, is preferably formed of a foldable sheet-like materialthat is relatively resilient, such as corrugated paperboard or the like.

The blank 10 comprises a bottom panel 11 which has foldably securedthereto along score lines 12 two pairs of opposed side walls 13 and 15,and 14 and 16, respectively. Each of the side walls has foldably securedthereto along score lines 17 outer panels 18. Each of the outer panels'18 has formed therein a pair of generally U-shaped notches 19. Thenotches 19 are formed in the outer free edges of the outer panels 18 andare adjacent, but spaced from, the marginal edges of the outer panels,to thereby define tabs 20.

End flaps 21 are foldably secured along score lines 22 to the marginaledges of an opposed pair of side walls 14 and 16. A pair of parallelslits 23 are formed in the blank 10. The slits 23 extend across and aretransverse to the score lines 22. The slits 23 define bands 24 which aretwice as long as the tabs 20 are wide and which are foldably attached,at either end, to their respective side panels and end flaps.

In assembly, the side walls are folded normal to the bottom panel 11.The end flaps are folded normal to their associated side Wall andparallel to their respective adjacent side walls. The bands 24 are thensnapped outwardly to extend away from the flaps and Walls to which theyare foldably attached. The outer panels are inwardly folded to lieparallel with their associated side walls, with the tabs 20 extendingwithin the opening formed by the bands 24. The bands are then snappedinwardly to lock the outer panels 18 in place. The side panels remainerect because the end panels 21 are trapped between the side walls andthe outer panels. When the blank 10 is formed of corrugated paperboardor the like, the bands 24 are sufliciently resilient to snap into andout of place to permit the tray to be easily assembled and disassembled.

Various pedestrian modifications may be used to adapt the tray of ourinvention to specialized uses. For example, the side walls may beoutwardly or inwardly sloped if desired. Also, the outer panels 18 canbe slit through their midsections to retain a conventional divider.

It will, of course, be understood that various details of constructionmay be modified through a wide range without departing from theprinciples of this invention, and it is not, therefore, the purpose tolimit the patent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the scopeof the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A self-locking tray comprising, a bottom panel, two pairs of opposedupstanding side walls foldably secured to said bottom panel, two pairsof end flaps foldably secured along first score lines to the marginaledges of one of said pairs of opposed side walls, said end flaps beingfolded normal to their associated side wall to lie parallel to theadjacent side wall, each of said side Walls having an outer flapfoldably attached to its outer free edge, said outer flaps beingreversely folded to lie parallel with their respective side walls,depending tabs formed on said reversely folded outer flaps along themarginal edges thereof, and a pair of parallel slits extendingtransversely across said first score lines, to thereby define bandshaving their ends foldably attached to said side walls and end flaps,said bands being arranged to receive said tabs and lock said outer flapsin place.

2. The tray as defined in claim 1, wherein each of said bands issufliciently long to receive a pair of tabs.

3. A self-locking tray comprising, a bottom panel, two pairs of opposedupstanding side walls foldably secured to said bottom panel, four endflaps, each of said end flaps being foldably secured along first scorelines to the marginal edge of one of said side walls, said end flapsbeing folded normal to their associated side wall to lie parallel to theadjacent side wall, outer flaps foldably attached to the outer freeedges of each of said side walls, said outer flaps being reverselyfolded to lie in face-to-face contact with said end flaps, dependingtabs formed on said outer panels along the marginal edges thereof, and apair of parallel slits extending transversely across said first scorelines, to thereby define bands having their ends foldably attached tosaid side walls and end flaps, said bands being arranged to receive saidtabs and lock said outer flaps in place.

4. A self-locking tray comprising, a bottom panel, two pairs of opposedupstanding side walls foldably secured to the marginal edges of saidbottom panel, en-d flaps foldably secured along first score lines to themarginal edges of said side walls, said end flaps folded normal to theirattached side wall to lie parallel to the adjacent side Wall, each ofsaid side walls having a pair of tabs foldably attached thereto, saidtabs being reversely folded to lie parallel to their attached side walland depend downwardly, and a pair of parallel slits extendingtransversely across said first score lines, to thereby define bandshaving their end foldably attached to said side walls and end flaps,said bands being adapted to receive said tabs.

5. A tray as defined in claim 4, wherein said tray is formed of afoldable, relatively resilient sheet-like material.

6. A self-locking tray comprising, a bottom panel having a polygonalconfiguration, side wall panels foldably connected to the edges of saidbottom panel, said side wall panels folded into upstanding relationshipand arranged to define a continuous side wall for said tray, a pluralityof end flaps, one of said end flaps being disposed at the juncture ofeach pair of adjacent side wall panels, said end flaps being parallel toone of an adjacent pair of side wall panels and foldably connected tothe side edge of the other of said adjacent pair of side wall panels,bands formed by a pair of slits extending across the foldable connectionof said end flaps to their respective side wall panel, and tabs foldablyattached to said one of an adjacent pair of side wall panels, said tabsextending through said slits to lie between said bands and endReferences Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS BeyerAug. 23, 1927 Huye Dec. 10, 1946

1. A SELF-LOCKING TRAY COMPRISING, A BOTTOM PANEL, TWO PAIRS OF OPPOSEDUPSTANDING SIDE WALLS FOLDABLY SECURED TO SAID BOTTOM PANEL, TWO PAIRSOF END FLAPS FOLDABLY SECURED ALONG FIRST SCORE LINES TO THE MARGINALEDGES OF ONE OF SAID PAIRS OF OPPOSED SIDE WALLS, SAID END FLAPS BEINGFOLDED NORMAL TO THEIR ASSOCIATED SIDE WALL TO LIE PARALLEL TO THEADJACENT SIDE WALL, EACH OF SAID SIDE WALLS HAVING AN OUTER FLAPFOLDABLY ATTACHED TO ITS OUTER FREE EDGE, SAID OUTER FLAPS BEINGREVERSELY FOLDED TO LIE PARALLEL WITH THEIR RESPECTIVE SIDE WALLS,DEPENDING TABS FORMED ON SAID REVERSELY FOLDED OUTER FLAPS ALONG THEMARGINAL